Vibrometer



July 13,1937. F. CORDERO VIBROMETER Filed Aug. 23, 1935 33 mvsm'on v r Y Fidel Cordero zam ATTORNEY search Room 73. Mia-Astana & TE T m3.

1 aLCuLCCl July 13,

, UNITED STATES 2,086,537 vmnoivm'rnn' Fidel Cordero, Washington, .I), C.

Application August 23, 1935, Serial No; 37,611 7 claims. (01. 7e-51) {Granted under the actv of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This invention relates to an instrument for measuring the amplitude of vibration of machine parts, especially when such amplitudes are-small;- It is the object of this invention to provide a device for the p p p cified which shall be body 6 and the other end journalled in a bridge 5 l easily m n p l ;'and accurate inits rel6. -The intermediate portion of member l4is sults cut away to lighten the same and reduce its In the drawing: 7 V w U inertia, thus forming flanges at the end thereof Fig. 1 is a face view of the present'invehtiohg whichfi'anges'giv'a'sufficient torque arm between Fig. 2'is a section thereof on the line 2--2, the center of member 14 and the points where 1 Fig. 1; I rod. I2 and index 1 are connected thereto. The p Fig. 3 is a detailed .view of the connection. be i dex] is mountedat one endu'pon the member tween the index and the member that transmits l4 and extends over a scale ll fixed in the body. the vibration; 6 under the index.

Fig;- 4: shows the appearance of-- the instrument- Extending upwardly from the body .6. .a short 15 when in operative contact with a vibrating ele'-"""""distance from thelnner end of bushing 8 is a' ment; I rib l8, wherein is fixed a guide and spring abut- Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig.4 except that merit bushing l9, through which the rod 12 the index is of different shape. T V slides freely. Spring has one end seated'upon 20 It is frequently desirable to ascertain the amplithe bushing-l9 and is held under the desired detude of vibration. of the parts of a machine or a gree of compressionby a collar 2| fixed on the structure when such amplitude is too small to be rod 12 to bear against the other end of the determined with instruments ordinarily availspring. A second collar 22 is secured on the rod able. For example, it may be important to know l2 a small distance from the bushing If! on the 25 thefamplitud'e of vibration of a part of an enside thereof opposite that against which the gine, but hitherto no readily portable means has spring 20 bears. The stiffness of the spring is so. been available for this purpose in general applichosen that the vibrating system composed of cations. v p the rod l2" andthe moving parts connected The body 6 of my instrument is made relatively thereto shall have a natural period of vibration 3() heavy in comparison with the'vibrating. system at least five times as great as themaximum vilater to be described; in order that the body will bration period at which it is to be used. The have sufiicient inertia to remain substantially parts of the vibrating system are made as light undisturbed by the vibrations of the machine as possible to reduce to a minimum] the efi'ects element in conjunction with which it is being of inertia. Index I is-preferably made of light used. One end of the body is made of sufiicient gauge aluminum and is transversely arched to 5 breadth to permit the desired swing of the inimpart to it the requisite rigidity. It will he dex l. Secured in the above mentioned end of observed .in Fig. 3 thatthepoint of connection of the body 6 is the bushing 8, having a collar 9 rod 12 is spaced from the axis of rotation of the thereon to seat at one end against the body 6. member I4 to provide a torque arm whereby I 40 The bushing 8 is bored along its longitudinal longitudinatmovement of the rod I! will be 40 axis, the outer portion In of the bore being of transformed into angular movement of thememgreater diameter than the innereportion ll ber l4 and the index mounted thereon. A glass thereof.- Mounted in the bore in bushing 8 is cover 23 protects the index I from injury and a rod l2 that is of light weight but of sufiicient excludes dirt from'the body 5.

rigidity to transmit vibratory movements 'longi- The method of using my present invention is 5 tudinally of itself, this rod being of such cross as follows: The body 6 is held in the hand and section that it fits snugly in the portion H of the the outer end of the rod I2 is touched against the bore, but is spaced from the larger portion l0 ,body whereof the amplitude of vibrationlis to be of the bore to permit lateral flexibility of the determined-with the axis of the rod lying in the rod at its free end to allow. the end of the rod direction of vibration, it'being obvious that if it 50 to follow the components of vibration transverse tially at right angles to the remainder of the ofiset portion, to be insertedinto a ho1e ll3 inla.

' rotatably mounted pivot member 14 carried on'a.

spindle l5 that has one end journalled in the is desired to measure the amplitude of the vibrations of a single body in different directions itdirection. The movements of the vibrating member are transmitted to the member 12 and, through the connection between the rod 12 and' index 1 above described, the index is caused to swing rapidly back and forth across the scale 11 with the same period as that of the vibration being measured. Owing to the fact that frequencies' of movement higher than about IS per second are not perceptible to the eye as separate movements, the eifect of which is known as the persistence of vision, the index 1 appears to be stationary at two positions approximately equally spaced from the longitudinal center line of the instrument and on opposite sides of this center line. While the movement of the index over the greater portion of its travel is too rapid for the eye to follow, yet at the end of each swing its velocity necessarily becomes zero and hence the index appears to be stationary in two positions as above described, and as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. It is apparent that the angular movement of the index 1 is proportional to the amplitude of vibration being impressed upon the rod I2 thereof, the point of intersection of the adjacent edges of the index in its two apparent positions therefore indicates the degree of angular movement being executed by the index. and scale I! is accordingly calibrated to represent amplitudes of vibration so indicated by the aforesaid apparent intersectionj As shown in Fig. 3 the apparent intersection indicates an amplitude of 0.030 inch. The scale shown in the drawing is calibrated for amplitudes of vibration between 0.001 inch and 0.030 inch, but obviously the range of amplitudes that can be measured may be varied at will, within'limits, by proper design of the vibratory system. Fig. 4 discloses an instrument provided with an index I that does not taper uniformly throughout its length but is of substantially fusiform outline as indicated in the said figure. The advantage of an index having this outline form is that'the scale intervals may be uniformly or approximately uniformly spaced instead of non-uniformly spaced, as in the scales shown in Figsll and 4; l

This invention may be made and used by or for' the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

I claim:

1. A device for measuring small amplitudes of vibration, comprising a relatively heavy body substantially wider at one end than at the other, abushing seated in said body at its wider end to lie along the median longitudinal line of the body and extending beyond the said wider end, there being in said bushing an axial'bore that is of greater diameter through the outer portion of the bushing than through the inner portion thereof, a pivot member having spaced radially extending flanges pivotally mounted in said body adjacent the narrower end thereof, a rod slidable in the bore in said bushing having one end extending beyond the outer end of the bushing and having its other end ofiset and pivotally connected to one flange on the pivot member at a point radially spaced from the axis of rotation of the pivot member, a light index fixed to the other flange of said pivot member, a spring abutment fixed to said body and spaced from the inner end of said bushing, a helical spring around said rod between said abutment and said bushing, a collar fixed on said rod and seated against said spring, a second collar fixed on said rod a small distance from the side of said abutment away from said spring; a calibrated scale disposed.

under said index, and a transparent cover over said index and scale.

2. A device for measuring small amplitudes of vibration, comprising a relatively heavy body substantially wider at one end than at the other,

a bushing seated in said body at its wider end to lie along the median longitudinal line of the body and extending beyond the said wider end, there being in said bushing an axial bore that is of greater diameter through the outer portion of the bushing than through the inner portion thereof, an oscillatable element mounted in said body with its axis of oscillation normal to said median line, a rod slidable in the bore in said bushing having one end extending beyond the outer end of the bushing and having its other end pivotally connected to said element at a point to provide a torque arm between said point and said axis, a light index fixed to said element, a spring abutment fixed to said body and spaced from the inner end of said bushing, a helical spring around said rod between said abutment and saidbushing, a collar fixed on said rod and seated against said spring, a second collar fixed on said rod 2. small distance from the side of said abutment away from said spring, a calibrated scale disposed under said index, and a transparent cover over said index and said scale.

3. A device for measuring small amplitudes of vibration, comprising a relatively heavy body substantially wider at one end than at the other, a bushing seated in said body at its wider end to lie along the median longitudinal line of the body and extending beyond the said wider end, there being in said bushing an axial bore that is of greater diameter through the outer portion of the bushing than through the inner portion thereof, an oscillatable element mounted in said body with its axis of oscillation normal to said median line, a rod slidable in the bore in said bushing having one end extending beyond the outer end of the bushing and having its other end pivotally connected to said element at a point to provide a torque arm between said point and said axis, a light index fixed to said element, said index being substantially fusiform in outline, a spring abutment fixed to said body and spaced from the inner end of said bushing, a helical spring around said rod between said abutment and said bushing, a collar fixed on said rod and seated against said spring, a second collar fixed on said rod 2. small distance from the side of said abutment away from said spring, and a calibrated scale disposed under said index.

4. A device for measuring small amplitudes of vibration, comprising a relatively heavy body substantially wider at one end than at the other, a

bushing seated in said body at its wider end to lie along the median longitudinal line of the body and extending beyond the said wider end, there being in said bushing an axial bore that is of greater diameter through the outer portion of the bushing than through the inner portion thereof, an oscillatable element mounted in said body with its axis of oscillation normal to said median line, a rod slidable in the bore in said bushing having one end extending beyond the outer end of the bushing and having its other end pivotally connected to said element at a point to provide a torque arm between said point and said axis, a light index fixed to said element, said index being substantially fusiform in outline, a spring abutment fixed to said body and spaced from the inner end of said bushing, a helical spring around said rod between said abutment and said bushing, a

e. I Y

collar fixed on said rod and seated against said spring, a second collar fixed on said rod a small distance from the side of said abutment away from said springand a-calibrated scale disposed under said index, saidscale having substantially uniformly spaced graduations.

5. A device fox-measuring amplitudes of vibra- 7 tion, comprising a body, a member mounted thereinto be longitudinally vibratable when an end thereof is held in contact with a vibrating body,

means associated with said member to cause said member to remain in contact with a vibrating body, an index, means connecting said member to an end of said index to transform longitudinal movement"of the member into angular riiovement of saidindexaboutthe'said end thereof, and a scale mounted on saldbody under saidindex extending substantially the full length. of the index and calibrated to indicate amplitudes of vibration corresponding'to the intersection of positions of the opposite edges of said index at two extreme displacements when vibrating.

6. YA device for measuring amplitudes of vibra-.

' tion, comprising a body of high inertia relatively to the hereinafter specified movable parts carried Y thereby, a light rodmounted in said body to be longitudinally reciprocable and havingone end extending beyond said body, means to prevent reciprocation of said rod'over more than a predetermined amplitude, resilient means to load said and extending almost the full length of said body with a free end adjacent the free end of said rod and a calibrated-scale disposed under said index throughout substantially the full length of said index.

'7. A device for measuring amplitudes of vibration, comprising abody of high inertia relatively to the hereinafter specified movable parts carried therebyla. light rod mounted in said hodyto be longitudinally reciprocable' and having oneend extending beyond said body, a portion of said rod adjacent said one end being free iiorlateral fiexion, means to prevent reciprocation of said rod over more than a predetermined amplitude, resilient means to load'said rod, a member mounted in said. body for rotary oscillation with its axis of oscillation normal to the axis of said rod, the

said rod being connected to said member at apoint 7 we to provide a torque arm between said point and the'axis of oscillation of the member, alight i to index carried by said member, and a calibrated I scale disposed under said index.

"' FIDEL CORDERO. 

